Features

Area

• An extensive rolling parkland landscape made up of glacial till forming a hummocky disintegration moraine known as the Beaverhills Moraine. A pronounced knob and kettle topography is typical. It is composed of rounded depressions (kettles) alternating with knolls (knobs) which are uniform in size and height.
  
• Lush, fescue grasslands occupy moist hilltops and slopes, aspen woods are prevalent on north-facing aspects, small shrubbery areas of buckthorn and rose occur, and sloughs are found in depressions.
  
• A former glacial spillway, known as the Snake Lake Valley, runs through the northwest portion of the area.
  
• In the northern part of the Ecological Reserve a number of flat-topped moraine plateaux rise above the hummocky moraine. They were formed in part by the deposition of water-transported material into small superglacial lakes. The fescue grasslands on top support populations of uncommon fescue grassland birds. There are also a number of deeper and more permanent wetlands.
  
• Average relief is about 10 metres. Elevations range from approximately 846 to 884 metres above sea level. Most ponds are 854 - 861 m above sea level; the tops of knolls range from 861 - 877 m.
  
• Poorly drained depressions result in numerous wet meadows and ponds, many only seasonally wet. East and north of the spillway are a sand and gravel esker and a complex of esker-like ridges, narrow ridges which formed in tunnels under the glacial ice.
  
• The area has a continental, microthermal, fairly dry climate with cold winters and long, cool summers.
  

Township and Range map: JPG | PDF		Natural Subregions map:  JPG | PDF

Natural Region

• The Ecological Reserve lies on the southern “groveland” edge of the Central Parkland subregion of the Parkland natural region. 4.3 km² of the 34.32 km² area lies within the Northern Fescue subregion.
• 144.3 km² of the 149.22 km² of the Natural Area, or Rumsey South lies in the Northern Fescue subregion of the Grassland natural region, 5 km² is in the Central Parkland subregion.
  

Watershed

• Drainage is largely internal into the numerous ponds in depressions. Moderately to poorly drained depressions and glacial spillway result in numerous wet meadows and ponds, many only seasonally wet. An intermittent drainage channel exists in the glacial spillway. This forms part of the Snake Lake drainage which eventually flows via Big Valley Creek into the Red Deer River about 14 km west of Highway 56. The spillway is broadly U-shaped, over 0.8 km wide and 12 m deep. It has two shallow saline sloughs and two marshes along an ephemeral stream.

Environmentally Significant Areas map:  JPG | PDF

Environmentally Significant Areas

• Both the Rumsey Ecological Reserve and the Natural Area are designated nationally significant.
  

Biodiversity

• The major vegetation consists of a patchwork of aspen and balsam poplar woodland, fescue grassland, tall and low shrub thickets, and a great variety of marsh and wet meadow habitats. More than 275 kinds of higher native plants, over 85 species of birds, over 20 kinds of mammals and 4 amphibians, and two types of snakes have been recorded. The balance of grassland and woodland has been determined by climatic fluctuations, fire, grazing and browsing.
• Of 1686 grassland sites surveyed in the Central Parkland subregion, only 211 (12.5%) have plains rough fescue (Festuca hallii) communities. These community types are on the Plant Community Tracking List of the Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre and ranked as S1 or S2 (Few or very few remaining hectares). Tracking lists are comprised of elements that are considered of high priority for conservation consideration because they are rare or special.
• The Rumsey area includes one of the largest remaining areas of plains rough fescue grasslands in Canada. Less than 15% of the Northern Fescue subregion in Alberta remains in native vegetation.
  

Plants

• Of 112 typical plant species of aspen and poplar woodlands found in the Central Parkland region, 68 occur within the Ecological Reserve. Only 12 of the major species have not been found at Rumsey, being more typical of aspen woodlands further north. Of 87 species belonging to the northern fescue grassland, 82 occur at Rumsey.
• Plants at the southern edge of their range are: arrow-leaved coltsfoot, marsh sragwort, spangletop grass, silvertop sedge, basket willow, Bebb’s sedge.
• Plants at the northern edge of their range are: thread-leaved sedge, yellow umbrella-plant, death camas, lance-leaved goldenweed.
• Uncommon plants of the Central parkland that are found at Rumsey include: American wintercress, mountain willow, reflexed locoweek, single spike sedge, Sartwell’s sedge, wedge-grass, slender beaked sedge, alkali bluegrass.
  

Wildlife

• Grasslands - upland sandpiper, Sprague’s pipit, Baird’s sparrow, horned lark, vesper sparrow, western meadowlark, Savannah sparrow; Richardson’s ground squirrel, thirteen-lined ground squirrel.
• Low Shrubbery -  clay-coloured sparrow, Brewer’s blackbird, thirteen-lined ground squirrel, rare prairie vole.
• Aspen woodland -  More than 20 species of breeding birds, including red-eyed vireo, house wren, northern oriole, least flycatcher, ruffed grouse, sharp-shinned hawk, blue jay, robin, clay-coloured sparrow, American goldfinch, black-billed magpie, common crow, warbling vireo, ruffed grouse, tree swallow, mourning dove; white-tailed deer, mule deer, deer mouse, short-tailed weasel.
• Tall Willow Shrubbery - At least 6 species of birds including alder flycatcher, yellow warbler, cedar waxwings, eastern kingbirds; snowshoe hare, American porcupine.
• Wetlands - At least 10 species of waterfowl, including mallard, gadwall, blue-winged teal, lesser scaup, redhead duck, canvasback duck, mallards, pintails, widgeon, horned grebe; wood frog, chorus frog, leopard frog; sora, common snipe, red-winged blackbird, common yellowthroat, LeConte’s sparrows, savannah sparrows, sharp-tailed sparrows; meadow voles, northern pocket gophers; shorebirds - killdeer, American avocet, marbled godwit, willet; American beaver, muskrat, horned grebe.
• Raptors - marsh hawk, merlin, Swainson's hawk, red-tailed hawk
• Ungulates - Recent estimates of from aerial surveys show 20 per sq. mile, comprised of 4-5 moose, 4-5 mule deer and 20 whitetail deer.

Sustainable Activities

• Grazing - There is one grazing lease on the Ecological Reserve and five on the Natural Area, of which 3 are individual and 2 are grazing associations. Some of these leases have now been there for about 100 years. One of the grazing leases has about 326 acres of cultivation. According to the RID livestock graze from June 1 - Oct. 31, the carrying capacity is set at 28 acres/head/year. Numbers of cattle are set to ensure that 50% of the grass remains at the end of the grazing season to maintain the native grass stand, to provide for wildlife use and to protect the soil from erosion.
• Recreation - Hiking is permitted within area, but, due to an unpopular 2003 law, leaseholders should be contacted prior to visiting. To find contact information, visit: http://srd.alberta.ca/RecreationPublicUse/RecreationOnAgriculturalPublicLand/Default.aspx
  

Cultural

• There are more than 20 archaeological sites. Site types and features include tipi rings, cairns, medicine wheels, effigies, ribstones, caches, buffalo jumps, buffalo pounds, projectile points